Through a Nightmare, Darkly
by Phantom of The Bandroom
Summary: A terrible evil has settled over Swan Lake. It threatens to destroy everything, including Derek and Odette's relationship. Whether or not they can wake up from this nightmare is a question that may never have an answer.
1. Chapter 1

In all the ways time changed people, places, and relationships, the best examples could be found in Swan Lake.

And in all the ways it could shape a single couple, the best example could be found in Odette and Derek, a loving married couple, a courageous pair, and, least importantly (to them, anyway), the Prince and Princess of Chamburg.

For a duo that started out being unable to deal with each other, the years and events had certainly had an immeasurable effect, and they became codependent on each other; two halves of a loving whole.

And they knew this.

Somehow, Derek and Odette managed to lead a happy life together when all the trouble with the Forbidden Arts had ended. It was hard for them to believe the way they were living. They had all they could ever want from both the world around them and from each other.

Perfection had come at a price. They paid heavily for the life they'd been blessed with.

And they wouldn't change it for anything. The trials they faced brought them closer together, making their relationship stronger than most.

These were the thoughts Odette had in mind one morning, a few weeks after their second wedding anniversary.

She thought about how they had started off as two children meeting for the first time, immediately disliking each other but not sure why, how they progressed through the years, their relationship turning from a prank-filled, friendship that neither would admit, to the awkward teenage years, when Odette found that with just the right batting of her eyelashes, she could get Derek to do whatever she wanted, to an eventful first meeting as adults, that started wonderfully, turned sour, and then became a miserable separation.

And now, wedded bliss… or so they thought. Derek's maturity had come with responsibilities that he took very seriously, too seriously. But then, like he always did, he came around, and returned to her side as the loving husband he was meant to be, though he had made a nearly fatal mistake.

And when that particular trouble had ended, all was right with the world.

"Too right, I think," Odette said to herself, thinking that things were too quiet. Or maybe that was her sense of adventure tingling, she thought, smiling.

"What's that, Odette?" Derek asked as he was walking up behind her.

She'd been sitting outside in the courtyard, enjoying the waning summer warmth. Soon, it would be autumn, then winter again.

Funny how time went by, changed people, places, everything down to the weather.

"Nothing," Odette said, looking up at him and again thinking of how time changed people.

Derek's face had changed in the time since they were first married. The angles were more defined, his eyes were somehow brighter, and his eyebrows were almost always furrowed with interest. Even his smile had changed. Rather than the broad, almost comical grin he once had, a pleasant, quiet smile graced his lips.

When he looked at her, he saw the same Odette, and he wouldn't change that for anything. She was his rock, the most solid person in his life. He didn't need her to change. He didn't want her to change.

But in a few ways, she had. She matured in the past two years, she'd become more patient, and more wary of the things going on around her. Nothing got past her, nothing happened without her knowing.

"You've been awfully quiet today," Derek said, sitting down beside her. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No, not at all. I've just been thinking about how we've changed over the years. It's not something that I noticed when they were happening, but as I look at us now, I just find it hard to believe how far we've come."

"It is pretty amazing," he agreed. "They're good changes. I'm glad for them."

"So am I. Do you ever worry that we might change too much, though?"

"What do you mean?"

"If everything changes… doesn't it scare you that we might as well? And our relationship? What if that changes? I don't mean to sound needy or dependent, but right now, I cannot imagine my life without you. It wouldn't be worth it after everything, everything that we've seen and heard and touched and experienced for ourselves. I don't want to lose what I have with you, and it scares me to death to think that we might grow tired of each other. I love you now, but what about twenty years from now? How will I feel then? And what about you? Will you look at me in the very same way that you do now even when I'm old and wrinkly and my hair's lost its color? What then?"

It was, to be sure, a more serious and lengthy reply than what Derek had thought she might say. All the same, he answered her honestly, matching her earnestness.

"I'll always see you as I see you now. I see you now as the woman I love, the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm not afraid of time changing. After everything that I've been afraid of; the Forbidden Arts, losing you because of some stupid mistake, I can't count time among them because it's not something that I can control, no matter what I do. If something takes you away from me, in nearly all situations, I can at least try to bring you back. I can fight against the Forbidden Arts, my own foolishness. Odette, I can fight against these things, but it's not worth it to fear time. It's out of our hands."

"And you're alright with that?"

"Yes. Because at the end of the day, the end of the week, month, year, whatever, I still have you. I still have the woman I love and have loved for a very long time. I don't care how much you change on the outside; your hair might become grey, your skin might wrinkle, but I'm still going to love you. I made a promise to do that, and though it is easy for me to keep, I take it very seriously. I will keep that promise not until the day you die, but until the day I die."

"That's all I needed to hear. I feel… better now."

He smiled and took her hand. "That's what I'm here for. And I'll always be here to make you feel better. Now, answer something for me."

"Anything."

"Why are you so worried about time?"

"Because I must be turning into a typical woman worried about growing old and losing her husband," she said, laughing a little. "Not really, I just wonder about the future sometimes. Don't mind me."

"But I do mind you, Odette. I mind everything you say. And what is it about the future that makes you wonder?"

"Don't you ever wonder about what will happen to us somewhere down the road?"

"Not often enough, I suppose. I tend to focus more on what's happening in front of me. Looking down the road is sometimes scary, don't you think?"

She smiled. "Yes, but sometimes the things that seem far ahead are right in front of you before you know it."

"Well, since you're the one keeping an eye on things ahead, what do you see?"

"Everything seems too far away right now. Just dots in the distance."

XxX

Nighttime at Swan Lake seemed to be a time of reflection and silence. Nothing ever happened at night, and Odette, for one, was glad for it.

Although she'd had many bad nights, there was something about the stillness of the world when the sun set that enchanted her. On clear nights, when the air was cool and comfortable, she liked to walk around the lake with Derek.

But tonight, she wanted to sleep. She was not inclined to stay up late or ponder the problems of the world. She just wanted to sleep.

And she did just so until about midnight.

Then, something woke her.

It was not a sound, nor Derek's coming to bed – he had already done so hours before.

Odette looked over to see him still asleep. She smiled. He could sleep through just about anything. Still, she was careful when she got out of bed.

Ignoring the sudden cold of the floor as she touched it with her bare feet, she walked over to the window and looked out to see that nothing was amiss. She stood for a moment, holding the curtain back with her pale hand, nightgown shimmering in the moonlight.

She looked like a goddess from a myth told thousands of years ago.

Then, a white light flashed, like a lightning bolt that had been slowed down. It lit up the entire room with an eerie white glow.

Derek woke with a start. He rushed over to Odette, his first instinct telling him to protect her.

But there was nothing to protect her from. The light faded away, and nothing had changed.

Nothing except for the temperature. It was unseasonably cold, cold enough that Odette could see her breath when she exhaled.

Derek and Odette looked at each other expectantly, waiting for something awful to happen. But the room remained silent and cold and still.

Then, a moment later, Derek could see an orange light lick the dark sky.

It was not sunrise. No, it was far too early for that and it came from the wrong direction. It came from the south, where a village that had been established not long after Derek and Odette moved into the castle at Swan Lake.

It was not sunrise. It was a fire.

A few moments later, a plume of grey smoke rose against the red sky.

"What on Earth…"

Odette didn't have time to finish the question before Derek left her side to get dressed. She followed suit.

Upon seeing this, Derek stopped. "You're not thinking of going out there, are you?"

"It depends. Are you?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm going too."

Derek frowned a little at the thought of his love walking into whatever dangers were lurking outside the castle. "I'd be more comfortable if you stayed here."

"They'll need my help out there. You know that."

"I do. But that doesn't make it any easier."

She walked over and kissed him.

"You don't have to be afraid. The danger has passed."


	2. Chapter 2

Together, Derek and Odette walked to the stables, recruiting castle guards to accompany them along the way.

It didn't take long for them to saddle up and leave, though Derek still wished Odette would not follow him. But that was the kind of woman she was. She'd always be at Derek's side, and he was grateful for it.

Still, he had a sense of foreboding. Something was definitely more wrong than it appeared.

He, Odette, and the guards rode through the forest along a dirt road that had seen much more traffic now that the prince and princess lived nearby. In fact, the town they were headed toward had only just sprung up since Swan Lake became inhabitable again.

So, of course Derek was worried. And so was Odette. A young village meant that it was fragile. If something were to bring it down, it might never rise again.

To their horror, as they exited the woods, Odette and Derek could see the whole village in flames. The cries of frightened and injured people could be heard from afar. Even the most battle hardened soldier shuddered.

"Stay here, Odette," Derek said. This time, it was not a polite request, and Odette put her independency aside for a moment and did as he asked.

"You men," Derek called, now addressing the guards, "come with me. We'll circle around and try to sneak in and drive whoever's doing this out."

"Be careful," Odette said, speaking mostly to Derek, but hoping for the safe return of everyone who would be following him.

In answer, Derek gave her a slight nod and a smile before he rode off.

For a while, she waited. But it didn't take her long to grow restless and even bored. She hated being left out of the action, though she knew Derek had only the best of intentions when he asked her to stay behind. But surely she could do something – _anything_ – to help out.

So she rode a bit closer, hoping to find Derek and tell him that she wasn't afraid. She wanted to help in any way she could.

But upon seeing the true horror of what was happening, she stopped.

For once, Odette wished she had listened to Derek when he said "stay where it's safe."

Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. Nothing could have prepared her for what she heard.

Before her was the smoking inferno that was a quaint, quiet little village that morning. People ran toward her, fear radiating from them as they tried to escape. Behind them were the demons responsible for the destruction.

They were dressed in black and riding on black horses. Under their hoods, two inhuman glowing red eyes shone through. The horses kicked and bit anyone in their path while their riders slaughtered those who remained. Only a few villagers managed to escape.

Unfortunately for Odette, the ones that were escaping were also leading the horsemen toward her.

By providence, Derek was not far away with a few of the guards from the castle, having driven out some of the other invaders. Seeing Odette in harm's way made him lose any sense of self preservation. He gave his horse a mighty kick and rode at full speed toward his wife.

The guards followed him closely, knowing his fear to be something that could not be reasoned with. He would charge headlong into any trap if Odette was the bait, and they knew it. They made it just before the attackers could reach Odette.

This show of force – Derek and his ten men versus the five that were about to attack the wrong person entirely – seemed to make the vandals think twice. Rather than stay and fight, they turned and rode back through the village.

Derek rode over to Odette, relieved. "Are you alright?"

She nodded blankly. Those men were quite odd. In fact, they didn't seem like men at all. They made no noise, not even the sound of the horses' hooves pounding against the ground was audible.

She felt very cold, and not just from the weather. Something evil gripped her heart and was still holding on with an icy grasp.

Derek, seeing that Odette was, indeed, not alright, took her hand reassuringly. He had planned to at least act a little annoyed that she had not stayed behind as he had asked, but the look on her face made him change his mind.

"You should go home," he suggested quietly.

"No," she said quickly, snapping out of her trance. "I'm not leaving you."

Before Derek could protest, a piercing shriek emanated from the village. Then the church steeple collapsed. More screams followed.

"Come on!" Derek said, commanding soldiers and moving toward the village. He, the guards, and Odette made their way closer.

Upon their approach, it appeared most of the attackers were gone already, vanished into thin air. From afar, Odette could see a man try to defend his family from the last of the raiders, but was brutally struck down before his assailant rode away.

Derek and Odette waited in disgusted silence for a few minutes while the guards searched the village for any more invaders.

When the guards reported back with no news of any more attackers, Odette and Derek felt it best to split up and help those who remained.

Death and suffering was all around, and years later, the thoughts of that night would haunt Odette's mind. People crowded the village, most of them cut down as they tried to escape. She was in the presence of the dead and the dying, some of whom crying out unintelligibly for help, others passing away in silence. Odette helped those she could, but it was not an easy task.

One man was so horrifically injured that he was barely identifiable as a person. He laid on the side of the road, twisted and grotesque, the picture of murder most foul.

Odette winced and looked away, only to see two children crying over their fallen parents. Gathering her courage and swallowing her grief, she went over to the children and led them away, placing them in the care of a nearby guard.

It would have broken her heart to stay with them. She knew that.

Nearby, a young boy of about sixteen gripping his knee tightly as he grimaced in intense pain. He was dragging herself away from the road, unable to walk. Finally, he gave up, and fell back, laying on the ground in her exhaustion.

Odette went to him, hoping she could help and glad that at least someone was still alive.

As the boy fought to sit up, Odette gently pushed him back down. "Don't move."

Odette ripped a long piece off of the bottom of her dress and began to wrap the boy's wound, though it was more than a mere cut. It was very highly probable that the boy would never be able to use that leg again.

"What happened here?" Odette asked.

"I don't know. One minute, everything was fine. The next… this. None of them spoke. They just butchered everyone in their path. I don't understand… Listen. There are others much worse off than me. Help them. Please."

"But your leg…"

"I can wait. The others can't. Go. Please."

Odette reluctantly stood up. Honestly, it appeared to Odette that no other survivors would be found that night. She shuddered and looked around to see Derek standing amongst the smoldering buildings, looking as if he had lost his own home. She joined him at his side.

"All this senseless killing," he whispered, too disgusted and amazed to speak any louder. "Why?"

"I don't know," Odette replied, matching his volume. "I can't understand it either."

Derek nodded and spoke up. "I've sent some men back so they can bring aid to these people, though I don't know how much good it will do if we are attacked like this again. Everyone I've talked to – those who weren't too frightened or grief stricken – says the attackers didn't speak. They had no motive other than to kill these people and destroy the village."

They stood in a moment of silence as the flames roared around them. Weeping could be heard emanating from every alley and doorway. The houses that still stood were badly damaged and most were in the path of fires that the wind blew in all directions.

The attack had stopped, but the destruction would continue on through the night.

Finally deciding that standing around would do nothing, Odette and Derek agreed that they needed to continue to help whoever was still alive. Upon the guards' return with supplies, they split up again, agreeing to meet back at the town center at dawn.

Odette was glad to work alone. It hurt her to see Derek so upset. Often, he wasn't given credit for his empathy – that was usually her area of expertise – but tonight, he was as one with the villagers.

As for her thoughts, they were too muddled to describe. Things were taking a strange turn lately, one that she definitely did not like. This attack was certainly more than a random act of violence.

Hearing the cries of someone in pain, Odette followed the sound to a small hut that was directly in the path of an oncoming fire. Hoping to rescue at least one person that night, she let herself in and looked around. It was dark, the house being little more than a shack. She took a few steps inside and looked around, sure that this was the site where the cries were coming from, but not seeing anyone.

Suddenly, someone clapped a hand over help mouth, muffling a yelp of fear and surprise.

Before she could move, a voice hissed in her ear.

"Odette… This destruction… Do you like it? I didn't think so… but it's your fault… you and your husband have condemned these people to die… This was your doing…"

Odette was just about to shake herself free when the hand and the voice vanished, leaving her very frightened and very confused. No trace of whatever it was that spoke to her was left in the burning hut. The only thing left was a chill in the air.

Quickly, Odette left the house, quite sure that something much more evil going on than a raid was taking place.

Meanwhile, Derek had been fighting his frustration. He thought with the final destruction of the Forbidden Arts that he and Odette would have some peace for once.

"But I was wrong," he said bitterly. Worst of all, Odette had come very close to getting hurt. He wished she would listen to him a bit more when he asked her to stay behind.

He sighed. He knew she didn't do it to get in his way. She merely wanted to be close to him, even in times of danger.

This rationalization did little to ease his mind. But how could he ask Odette to listen to him when it took him almost two years of marriage – not to mention all the years of knowing each other prior to that – to do the very same thing? Who was he to say anything about listening to advice?

For the thousandth time, he silently rebuked himself for all the moments when he did not listen to Odette.

A sudden cry of help brought him back into the present. Quickly, he made his way into a narrow alley. An eerie chill hung in the air when he arrived.

A voice colder than the air around him whispered in Derek's ear, "Derek… look what you've done… you and Odette… this is your fault… You brought this suffering upon the people… It's your fault…"

Derek whirled around, his sword drawn, ready to confront the voice's owner, but the alley was empty. The voice, it appeared, belonged to no one.

"Our fault?" Derek asked himself. He was not at all in any disbelief that a disembodied voice had been speaking to him from God only knows where. After the things he'd seen over the past couple of years, a voice from nowhere wasn't entirely unbelievable.

It was preposterous, however, to think that he and Odette were the cause of the attack on the village. He and Odette would never bring about such a calamity. Not on purpose. Not even on accident if they could help it.

He decided not to mention it to Odette, though he had some reservations, considering what had happened the last time he did that. He didn't want her to think, however, that danger lurked around them when he himself could not be sure.

Finally, it was dawn, and the sun began to peer over the horizon.

Derek went back to Odette, hoping for good news.


	3. Chapter 3

Neither one of them mentioned the voice, fearing that they would upset the other.

Derek sent a messenger to bring more men back to the village while he, Odette, and the others convened on what to do next.

Those who were well enough were glad to help and volunteered to do anything asked of them.

First, they gathered what supplies they could and began erecting tents and lean-tos so they could sleep relatively sheltered that night. The older girls took on the responsibility of watching the children while others began cleaning up the roads so that supplies could be moved in.

The relief effort went on throughout the entire day, with Derek and Odette stopping only a few times to rest. They, the soldiers, and the survivors searched for others who might be trapped in the debris of a burnt house – though it didn't seem likely that they would find anyone.

Later in the day, the bodies of the dead were lined up so that a priest could pray over them. Odette had to hold back her raging tears when she saw that the boy with the wounded leg was among them.

She was angry. Angry that someone attacked these innocent, angry that someone was blaming it on Derek and her.

But who? And why?

It was killing Derek that those questions would not be answered soon, and he knew that he could not devote time to find the answers himself. He had to focus on the people.

And he had to focus on Odette.

When they finally made themselves leave the village and return home, they found themselves feeling hopeless. Doing something, helping was therapeutic. It kept their minds off of their feelings. But at home, when it was just the two of them, it was hard to be so distracted.

Derek could see plainly that Odette was deeply hurt. She was so deep in thought that she couldn't bring herself to speak. For most of the night, she sat perched at a window, a book in her lap, but her eyes looking outside, where she could see little plumes of smoke from the campfires that were taking the place of what would normally be fireplaces in homes.

As for himself, Derek didn't know how to feel. His heart went out to the people and he was sympathetic, but at the same time, he was angry and vengeful. And he was anxious. The voice had blamed it on him and Odette. He feared for her safety, and with, he was sure, good reason.

The night passed in silence. Derek and Odette spoke very little and only when necessary.

Even when they went to bed, they said hardly a word to each other.

It didn't take Odette long to fall asleep, though Derek knew it was an uneasy slumber, judging by how much she twisted and twitched.

He too fell into an exhausted slumber. Being a more sound sleeper than Odette, he soon found himself dreaming.

Or perhaps not.

_He was fighting, dueling with someone he didn't know. It was a shadow – not his own, and not one created by any other man. It was more like a ghost. The more he tried to fight, the more his opponent learned. _

_Everything Derek did, the shadow countered. It was impossible to get past it and defeat it. Derek had no idea why he was fighting it in the first place. But if it was after him, Derek wasn't going to let it beat him. Win now, ask questions later. _

_Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Odette, watching the fight with an intense look of worry and fear. Seeing her gave him new fire. He had more reason than just saving himself for fighting. He had to protect Odette. That was more important. _

"_What makes you think you can protect her from me?" a voice hissed. It was the same as the one from the alley. "What makes you think you can keep her from dying?"_

_Derek doubled his efforts, pushing himself harder. He had to win. _

_For the entire fight, he carefully moved himself between his opponent and Odette. But he'd forgotten that this shadow could learn, and it didn't take long to figure out that Derek's main goal was to protect Odette. _

_So, when Derek struck next, the shadow moved out of the way and targeted Odette. It dashed toward her. _

_Derek had no time to stop it. _

"_Derek!" she screamed as it was just inches away. _

_Derek watched as the shadow stabbed Odette. He immediately felt a great pain in his heart, worse than anything he'd ever felt. He ran toward her and gently picked her up. _

"_Odette… I'm so sorry…"_

"_You didn't protect her," the voice mocked. "You didn't save her. It's your fault."_

"_Derek…" Odette whispered. "Don't listen…"_

"_Look what I've done…" he said, disgusted and heartbroken. _

"_Derek…"_

"_I'm so sorry." He started to cry._

"_Derek?"_

"_I meant to protect you."_

"Derek? Derek! Wake up!"

His eyes snapped open to see Odette, her face etched with a look of concern and confusion. She moved out of the way to make room for him as he sat up. For a moment, he could do nothing but stare at her in disbelief.

"You were only dreaming," she said quietly.

Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead, dotting his visage like stars on a night sky. They shimmered just the same. His eyes were watery, as if he'd been crying. His palms were cold and clammy. He was breathing heavily.

"No," he said, quickly pulling her into a tight embrace. "Not a dream. A nightmare."

"It's alright," she whispered reassuringly. "I'm here."

"I thought I'd lost you."

"No. Never that."

He let go. "Forgive me. I let a nightmare get the best of me."

"It must have been some nightmare," she qualified.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"I understand."

He gently took her hand into both of his. "How are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"With everything that's happened… how are you fairing?"

"Well enough, I suppose. It's not easy."

"I know. I don't want you to go back there tomorrow. I don't like seeing you there."

"No, Derek. I want to go with you. I want to help you as best I can."

He sighed. "It's unsettling to know you're there among that… tragedy."

Truly, he worried for her heart. He knew it was breaking more and more every moment she spent in the ashes of the village. He reprimanded himself for having a sneaking thought that she couldn't handle it – that she was too weak and faint of heart.

But she wasn't. He knew that. Odette had been through more suffering and misery in the last few years than most people had throughout their entire lives. And she was better for it. Of course she wasn't weak.

He was ashamed that he had to remind himself.

In truth, however, Odette wasn't entirely sure she could handle going back. It had taken everything in her to keep herself from falling to tears that day. Could she really handle another one like it?

She had to. For all the times Derek had suffered with her, she wanted to suffer with him. And not even just him. She wanted to suffer with the people who had lost their homes and their loved ones. She wanted them to know that she cared a great deal about what had happened and she was not going to desert them.

So she had to steel her mind and heart against what she was sure she would see the moment she set foot in the village the next day. The very thought of it made her shiver. Or was it the still cold air?

The temperature hadn't risen back to its normal level since the night before. It was still cold outside, colder than it should have been.

She thought about this, the attack, and the voice. The more she dwelled on it, the more she was sure that it was no coincidence that they all happened at the same time. And what was that light the night before?

Something strange was happening, something terrible and strange indeed.

XxX

The next day was much like the one that preceded it. Derek and Odette volunteered their efforts and did their best to help the village to its feet. The process was slow, difficult, and painful.

Casualties were still being found, and graves could not be dug fast enough and the priest could not pray fast enough.

Once again, Odette and Derek returned home exhausted. This time however, Rogers was waiting, looking ready to prattle off a long list of reasons why they shouldn't be helping as they were.

"Surely there are other ways to help those people," he said. "I don't like the idea of the future king and queen of this kingdom toiling about unprotected. Suppose another attack comes."

Rather than rolling his eyes and slouching in irritation, Derek stood up straight and listened, his eyes furrowed in both interest and moderate indignation and his arms crossed in impatience.

"There is no better way to help them, Rogers. If we are not there, then the rebuilding will fail."

"It is not your place" Rogers started.

Derek raised his hand, a signal for silence. "Rogers, there are people out there sleeping in tents because their homes were razed to the ground. There are children without parents because their parents were murdered. How can you ask Odette and me to wait here and do next to nothing?"

"If another attack comes…"

"Then we'll face it," Derek said. "But if it will make you feel better, we'll bring a few more guards out with us tomorrow."

Rogers nodded, knowing Derek would not be swayed. The prince had become quite wise – and quite stubborn. Rogers was reminded of Derek's father, the late King Joseph, who was quite the same way before he passed on.

A few minutes more of uneasy chatter later, Derek and Odette thought it best to have a private dinner and then go to bed.

As Derek lay awake that night, too afraid to fall asleep and have the nightmare again, he couldn't stop thinking about the voice. Twice it had visited him, and it would only be a matter of time before it spoke to Odette – if it hadn't already.

He didn't dare ask. He didn't want to scare her. But he wanted to know if she was holding back for his sake.

She was being so brave. He knew she was afraid and upset, and he admired the way she pressed on through it.

He only hoped he could do the same.

But to be completely honest, Odette didn't feel as brave as she acted. She was afraid of another attack, afraid of failing to help the people, afraid of breaking down.

The events of the past few days wore heavily on her heart and she was not entirely sure she would be able to go back to the village.

"Run away from it, Odette," a voice hissed. She shot up in bed, looking around for it.

It was the same one from the burning house.

"Leave those people. Abandon them," it taunted.

Odette froze, too afraid to move. Whoever was speaking was in the room with her and Derek. Her breathing quickened and her heart rate picked up. Her eyes widened as she tried to find where the intruder was hiding.

Derek touched her arm, snapping her out of her fear.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"Didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That voice! It was so loud and… Derek, didn't you hear it?"

He nodded. "Twice since the night of the attack. Well, this makes three times. The second was in my dream."

"This makes my second. I heard it the night of the attack too."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. Why didn't _you_ tell _me_?"

He smiled ironically. "The very same reason."

She relaxed a little. "Then your nightmare last night… it was because of the voice?"

His smile faded. "Yes. Odette, if you're hearing this voice too, then that means it's not just our imaginations. It's after us. Otherwise it wouldn't attack us so personally."

She nodded. "I know. We're in danger again."

"I swear, I'll protect you from this."

Though his voice was confident and his heart was sure, somewhere in the back of his mind, Derek had to ignore the gnawing impression that the voice had left on him.

"You can't do it," it hissed. "You can't protect her.

"She'll die. And you'll die. Everything will die."


	4. Chapter 4

"I was thinking," Odette said the next morning as she and Derek were on their way back to the village. "It's sad that neither one of us was surprised to find out that there's danger looming again. It's as if we've gotten used to it."

Derek smiled a little. "I just wonder what's left to harm us. We've pulled through every hardship, beaten every enemy, won every battle. What's left?"

Both of their smiles faded.

"Does it really matter?" Odette asked.

"No. Because we still have to fight it. Not only for our sakes, but for those people who lost an entire village. It's not about only us this time."

"I know."

"Here we are. Let's not talk about this outside of each other. Alarming the people will do no good."

Agreeing to this, Odette followed Derek into the heart of the burnt village. Already, new houses were being constructed and old houses were being repaired. It wouldn't be long before the village was new again and the tragedy would be behind them.

Time never stopped. And it made Odette think.

No tragedy and no joy on Earth could ever freeze time. To live in the moment was just a goal that no one could ever achieve. Time rolled on, past the celebrations and the dirges. And oh, how it changed things.

"It's running out for you," a voice whispered. "You don't have much of it left."

Odette froze. One moment, she was blinded. The next, she was having a vision.

_It was of Derek, looking focused and enraged. His face glowed with perspiration. Tiny cuts covered his face, some of them bleeding, unleashing tiny red rivers flowing down his visage. _

_Something hit him, too fast to see, and Derek fell. Odette cupped a hand over her mouth in horror. Derek was immediately on his feet again, but his exhaustion was evident. He'd been fighting for a long time. _

_But that didn't stop him. _

_He still got up. Still lifted his sword. _

_Odette knew the look on his face. It was determination and love and anger and fear. _

_She knew he was fighting for her. _

"_Let her defend herself and see how well she does!" the voice taunted. _

_The shadowy figure that Derek had been fighting turned its attention to Odette, who had nowhere to run. _

"_No!" Derek roared as he rushed toward the figure. The shadow quickly turned around and, to Odette's horror, slew Derek before he could defend himself. _

_The shadow appeared behind her, holding her against her will as she struggled to reach Derek. _

"_This is your fault," it whispered. "Look at him. He was trying to protect you because you are too weak to protect yourself. Pathetic. He threw his life away for you."_

Odette blinked and the vision was gone. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.

"Princess, are you alright?" one of the guards asked, snapping Odette into reality.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said quickly.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. These are trying times for all of us."

"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm alright."

"Very well, your highness."

Both of them went about their work, but it was hard for Odette to concentrate with the voice still echoing in the back of her mind. It was a gnawing feeling and she couldn't ignore it.

XxX

Over the next few days, the village rose again, better than before, though many things were missing. A monument to those who had been killed was being erected in the center of the village.

Odette and Derek decided that they needed to shift focus from rebuilding the village to finding the ones responsible for its destruction.

The voice never subsided, and they were increasingly certain that it had something to do with the attack. The shadowy figures that haunted their dreams resembled the ones that had burnt the village down.

A void grew between them. Derek was too caught up in trying to protect Odette to tell her any of his thoughts or theories and Odette was too busy trying to ensure Derek that she would be fine on her own to talk to him about how she truly felt. It was to the point that they simply were not talking to each other, and the lack of communication – and the fear of it – was taking its toll.

"Maybe time away from here would be good for us," Odette suggested one night.

Derek looked at her with more hurt in his eyes than she'd ever seen. "Time away? Now?"

"Just long enough to get our thoughts straight. We've hardly spoken to each other since we started hearing the voice and it's because we're too afraid of what we might say. If we can get away from here for a while – because I think it's this place itself, being so near the village, that has us so tense."

"Suppose the village is attacked again while we're gone."

"Our being here wouldn't prevent it. In fact, our presence is more likely to provoke an attack than prevent one."

"Then what would be the point of getting away?"

"We wouldn't have to see the ruined village every time we look out the window. I'm not saying we should leave indefinitely and that we have to go to some far corner of the world. Just anywhere but here for a short while."

"My mother is visiting the King of Lincolnshire. We could go to her castle."

"That would be perfect. It's not far and we can return quickly, if necessary."

He nodded, though still unsure. "I'm sorry about all this."

She gently took his hand in hers. "It's not your fault."

"I feel like I failed you and those people. They were not protected. What if we were in the village that night? You know we never have many guards around us. We might have been killed too."

"I prefer not to think of it, though I have before. There is no way to tell what would have happened if we had been there, but I know that those thoughts won't help anything."

"I just hate to think that I could have lost you. I've been through that enough and with these dreams… whatever this is, it's threatening you."

"And it's threatening you. It knows how we feel about one another. And it knows how to drive us apart."

"But why us? Why is it so focused on us? It makes no sense."

"Maybe because we're the one thing between it and what it wants."

Odette's answer took both of them by surprise. Derek stared at her for a moment, mulling it over, only to find that it made perfect sense.

Time and time again, they had stood between the people that wanted to take over the world and destroy it and the world itself.

And time and time it was their bond that brought them victory. Their drive came from an insurmountable love for one another.

"Then what does it really want?" Odette wondered aloud.

"It doesn't matter," Derek resolved. "We will stop it from reaching its goal. We have to."

Odette nodded in agreement.

They decided to leave for Uberta's castle the next day and return the afternoon of day after. In a way, it was an experiment to see if the shadow would follow them.

Derek left an extra regiment of guards to watch over the village in their absence.

XxX

When they arrived at Uberta's castle, Derek and Odette received a warm welcome. After settling in, Derek and Odette took to their own activities.

Derek wandered about the castle, going into rooms he had not seen in years. He thought about the basement. Even as a child, he had not ventured down there.

A crypt containing the past kings who had resided in the castle lay beneath the great hall. Among those kings was Derek's father.

Into that crypt he wandered, not entirely sure what he thought he would find there.

Derek didn't know his father, since King Paul passed away before Derek had a chance to remember him. Still, Derek felt a closeness to him, considering he looked just like him. Derek had seen portraits of his father that may as well have been mirrors.

It was cold in the crypt. Nothing had been touched in years, no one had disturbed the silence. Derek left footprints in the dust as he passed through, heading toward his father's tomb.

Upon finding it, Derek felt a weight drop on his shoulders.

"What would you do?" Derek asked.

All his life, he'd heard how great his father was, how noble, how brave, how strong, how smart.

So what would King Paul the Great do?

Derek leaned against a wall.

"What if I can't protect her?"

He waited, but no answer came to him. He smiled dryly. Of course not. Answers never came easily. Why should they start now?

"You think he can help you?" the voice hissed. "You think anyone can? You're weaker than I thought."

"What do you want?" Derek growled. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I have waited long enough."

"Waited long enough for what?"

"What do you think? The world is unsuspecting. You and Odette have weakened it. It's as good as mine."

"But Odette and I are the ones standing in your way, aren't we?"

"She was right about that. The moment you're gone is the moment when I take over."

"I won't let that happen."

"You don't have a choice."

Derek felt the presence leave him.

The fact that it spoke to him even while he was away from Swan Lake showed that the voice was after Odette and him specifically.

Derek turned to leave the crypt, but stopped for a moment before leaving his father's tomb. He inclined his head.

"Rest in peace, Father."

He felt a breeze in the windowless crypt and smiled.

Derek resurfaced and found Odette sitting quietly at a window in the room they would be staying in that night. She looked worried about something. He pulled up a chair and sat across from her.

"I hear the voice," he said quietly.

She nodded. "So did I."

"What did he say to you?"

"Only that he was coming, and very soon. And you?"

"The same. And that he's been waiting and he will take over the world because we weakened it."

"Weakened it?"

"I don't know what he meant."

Odette sighed. "What can we do?"

Derek's eyebrows furrowed and he lowered his head. "I don't know."

A moment of silence passed before Derek lifted his head again and looked at Odette with intensity and determination in his eyes.

"But we will stop it, and it will not win."

XxX

Odette and Derek returned to Swan Lake to find that it was, fortunately, untouched in their brief absence, though Rogers was sure that, had they stayed longer, an attack would have been imminent.

It was difficult to plan for something they knew nothing about, and Odette and Derek had no idea as to how they were going to stop the voice and whatever body – or bodies – came with it.

They were constantly watching for changes, no matter how subtle. The reconstructed village was almost as secure as the castle itself. New guards had been hired and patrols around the kingdom had been increased.

Meanwhile, Derek wondered if the voice had something to do with Swan Lake itself. As he thought about it, he realized that it was more than a coincidence that the Forbidden Arts had been hidden in the castle, enemies had infiltrated the castle trying to find the remnants of the Forbidden Arts. For that matter, why had the castle been abandoned in the first place?

He went to the library and pulled every book that had anything to do with the history of the kingdom. Some of it dated back to before it was a kingdom.

He dived into the pages, writing everything down that had even a vague connection to Swan Lake.

Then, he found it.

When it was built, the castle was the first of its kind in the country. The man who commissioned it to be built was a wealthy lord who had an interest in the arcane. Several sorcerers and witches and enchanters would visit Swan Lake, it being one of the few places that did not condemn such activities.

When the lord died, he left it to the sorcerers who loved it so much so that they would have a place in the world, a sanctuary of sorts.

Soon, however, the wizards and warlocks and the like took advantage of the lord's hospitality. They became an elite coven, then a rabble of corrupt mad men. They attacked the people who had wronged them before.

Those who were left began to despise witchcraft and spell casting attacked the castle. They drove away anyone with even a slight knowledge of magic.

Magic, from that point on, was outlawed and the castle was left to waste away.

Then, a specific type was formed and refined by top wizards and sorcerers. It was so powerful that even their developers could not control it. They grouped the various powers into three specific families: the Power to Change, the Power to Create, and the Power to Destroy. Collectively, they were known as the Forbidden Arts.

They were passed down through the generations. Those who could not handle them were weeded out. Over the years, one person had the ability to fully handle the Forbidden Arts. Rothbart.

He found the old castle and moved back into it.

Derek closed the book that held all this information and closed his eyes.

Before he knew it, he had dozed off.


	5. Chapter 5

Derek's dream took him to a strange place where nothing seemed to exist. He was alone for a moment. Then, a shadow appeared before him.

_The shadow had no face, only the shape of one. It emitted a smoky aura that made Derek feel cold, colder than even the dead of winter. _

_It made no motion to attack him, but Derek was on his guard. _

"_You really believe all those lies about the Forbidden Arts?" the voice asked Derek, laughing cynically. "You're even more of a fool than I thought. I created the Forbidden Arts and set them upon the world. I watched as those wizards killed each other. The world was rotting because of the arts, and I waited for my chance to take it._

"_But I was not careful enough. When Rothbart mastered them, I knew I couldn't emerge. He was too powerful for even me to attack. You see, being trapped as I am – though I will not be for long – has taken a great effect on my strength. I was lucky when you killed Rothbart, and even more lucky when his corpse fell into the lake. _

"_I absorbed his power over the years, not an easy task, considering he had amassed a great deal of it, in spite of King William's efforts. So, for killing him, I thank you. But you and Odette must be dealt with before I can take this world."_

_Derek faced the shadow with great resolve. "I'm not going to let you. You can be as powerful as you like, but you have no place in this world."_

"_Not now, but only because you're in it. I'll remove you yet." _

Derek awoke to find Odette's hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking at a few beads of sweat that rested on his brow.

"I'm fine. Listen."

He told her both what he read and what the voice told him, right down to the last detail, while she listened intently.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Odette asked when he was finished.

"Yes."

She sighed. "We have quite a problem on our hands."

"I know."

Silence. Neither one of them could truly express how much they did not want to go through all this again and how much they feared losing the other. Odette in particular had something on her mind as of late, but she struggled with how to say it.

"Derek?"

"Yes, Odette?"

"Do you think maybe… there's a reason for all this? That we're in the middle of it all?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why is it that every time the world is in danger, we're the ones there to stop its destruction?"

"Wrong time, wrong place?" Derek offered, hoping there was no more to the mystery.

"You know that's not true."

He frowned apologetically. "But I don't know the answer."

"Neither do I. But it's not a question to be ignored, is it?"

"Not at all… Come on, let's go to bed. Maybe the next thing the voice will tell us is how to beat it."

XxX

Truthfully, Odette wished she could get away. She wished she and Derek could just hide from it, and be somewhere remote and unreachable where trouble couldn't find them. She was tired of catastrophes and danger. She wanted peace and safety.

Well, she would have safety if she was to run away, but peace was another matter entirely. She would be too wracked with guilt to be at peace with herself.

As she lay awake, feeling oddly alone although Derek was softly snoring beside her, she wondered why she even bothered at all. No matter how hard they fought, how many enemies they beat, there would always be another battle around the corner.

She loved Derek dearly, more than anything or anyone in the world, and this was not the life she wanted with him. In fact, the only upside to the life they were leading was that they had each other.

These thoughts were not the only things keeping her awake. She did not want to hear that voice. Almost any other sound in the world would be more welcome than that.

But she was only human, and sleep soon took its hold.

_She felt a great weight on her, something so heavy that she couldn't move any part of her body. She couldn't see._

_But then, suddenly, she found that she could move, but only her head and her hands, and only just so. She was shackled. _

_Her vision then cleared. Before her were the citizens of the village, carrying torches, looking confused and angry. She looked to her side to see Derek trying to put on a brave face. When he looked to her he was saddened to find that she was awake. _

"_I am sorry," he said. "I failed you, and this is the price we pay for it." _

"_I don't understand." _

_Odette looked to her feet, which were set upon something uneven and uncomfortable. _

_A pile of wood. A pile of wood for a fire. _

_They were going to be burned. _

_A man appeared before them. He wore a dark red cloak, with the hood drawn over his face, which was hidden anyway by a white mask. _

"_People of Swan Lake, I give you your prince and princess." _

_There were confused murmurs from the crowd. _

"_They have betrayed you! They have weakened you! They have left you defenseless and they have left you to die!" _

_The crowd was not moved. _

_The hooded man walked into the crowd and stopped beside one of the men. _

"_You! You once described Princess Odette as an angel, did you not? Well, you may be right. Look at your village. It's gone. And your family? Gone as well. An angel? No! _The_ angel. The Angel of Death!"_

_The crowd cheered as the man walked over to Derek. _

"_And this man, your prince! Look at him! He can't protect even protect his own wife, let alone an entire kingdom! You've put your lives in these peoples' hands, and look at how they've failed you. They let you burn. Now is your time to let them burn."_

_The man took a torch from one of the members of the crowd. _

_The crowd cheered louder as the man walked toward Derek, bent down, and lit the wood. The man stood, turned toward Odette, and looked through his mask into her eyes, instilling in her the greatest fear she had ever known. _

_He dropped the torch._

"No!"

Odette snapped awake. She was still shaking her head as Derek, who had been startled out of sleep by her outburst, was frantically trying to calm her down.

"Odette! It's okay! It's okay, Odette! I'm here. Shh. I'm here. I'm here."

His voice was a gradual decrescendo as Odette regained her senses.

Derek gently cupped his hands around Odette's face and looked into her eyes.

"It's alright."

"Derek… I was so afraid…"

She was crying. He drew her closer to him and held her a moment, allowing her to let her tears flow onto his shoulder, knowing that this had been no ordinary nightmare.

Finally, she stopped crying, having fully realized that she was in Derek's arms, not shackled to a pole and about to be burned.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We were being burned. A man, a man in a hood… he said it was our fault – the same thing as the voice. In fact, his voice _was_ the voice."

"Then you saw him? What did he look like?"

"I don't know. He had a cloak and a hood and a mask covering his face. I couldn't see him at all."

He nodded. "Then what happened?"

"The whole village was turned against us. They believed the man when he said we brought the attack on them. They were cheering when he lit the-"

She stopped, and a moment later was about to continue when Derek interrupted her.

"It's alright, I understand."

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I lost it for a moment there."

"I did too, remember? This man, whoever he is, is driving us mad. And if he's showing himself, then he's probably gotten stronger and braver."

They talked for a while longer, but they reached a point where there was no more to say. On top of that, Derek had a lot of thinking to do.

It bothered him greatly that this man was challenging his ability to defend Odette. He was certain that she was in very great danger. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to get her away from it.

But she would stay at his side, regardless of the danger. He knew that.

So he'd have to face it alone, without giving her the chance to stubbornly insist that she would stay with her.

Quietly, he snuck out of bed and got dressed. He left the room, and passed through the castle, quiet as a ghost, and made it outside without being bothered by anyone.

It was a warm night out, with only a slight breeze for company. Derek wandered along the shore of the lake.

God, how he hated everything that was going on. He hated that he couldn't protect Odette or prevent what was happening.

"Or maybe I can," he said, looking toward the center of the lake, where Rothbart's corpse had fallen in.

He judged he could swim the distance. He took off his boots and his shirt and waded in, glad the water wasn't too cold. When the water became deep enough, he started to swim. Just before reaching the middle of the lake, he slipped under the surface of the water and opened his eyes.

The water was clear, and Derek could see very well. There were few fish in the lake, and they scurried out of sight before Derek could determine what species they were.

He went deeper, searching for something he was not entirely sure he would recognize, even if he found it.

His search was not in vain. Just before he had to resurface, he saw an unnaturally dark spot in the water. Quickly, so as not to lose his place, he swam to the surface, filled his lungs with air, and dove again.

As he moved closer to the spot, he found that the water became increasingly and inexplicably colder. Still, he pressed on, determine to identify the spot before he once again ran out of air.

The dark spot, he then realized, was approaching him, not the other way around. It threatened to swallow him. He tried to get away from it, but he wasn't fast enough. The darkness drew him in, bringing him to the bottom of the lake, where a human skeleton rested beside a white mask.

The skeleton was weathered and had been there for a few years. Derek determined it to be that of Rothbart, guessing that, like Odette, he was transformed back to his human form in his dying moments.

The mask matched Odette's description of the one from her dream.

"You've found me," the voice whispered. "Congratulations."

Derek couldn't answer the voice and dared not to even move for fear of running out of oxygen before he could reach the surface. He stayed very still.

"I've almost finished with Rothbart. Soon, I'll be free of this watery prison and I'll have the whole world. And you're going to help me."

Derek shook his head negatively.

The voice laughed. "You don't have a choice, dear boy."

Derek, in an effort to escape, began to swim toward the surface, using his strong arms to propel him forward, but he could still feel the darkness's weight dragging him down.

Somehow, he made it, sure that he had escaped. He made for the shore and, upon reaching it, ran away from the lake, watching it for signs of movement. Satisfied that he had truly escaped, he turned around, grabbed his shirt, and headed back toward the castle.

There was an odd rustling in the leaves as he walked back. Several times, Derek stopped to look around, but found no signs of movement – not even the wind, which made the motion of the leaves even more eerie.

He continued back, totally unaware that his shadow was pointed toward the wrong direction for that time of night. He didn't realize that there were eyes on his every move.

Even as he entered the castle through a side door, one that only a few people knew about, climbed the stairs to his and Odette's room, quietly changed, and slipped into bed, he didn't notice that he was being followed.

He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep without knowing that he did not return from the lake alone.

**Wow. It's been a while. I've missed you guys. How are you? Well, you'll be expecting an apology and an explanation for why I haven't been updating. Alright then, I'm sorry. And as for the explanation, I have two words: Advanced Placement.I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I'll update just as soon as I can. Don't forget to review! Thank you so much. **

**-The Phantom  
**


End file.
